Among the Tuscan coastal towns, Castiglioncello is a particularly nice spot for a destination run. One can put together a nice route combining castle grounds, shaded parks, and a 3.5 km seafront promenade. We haven’t mapped the route — use the description below for the several sections. One can put together a lovely ~8-10k route combing the castle park, seafront promenade, and inland park.
Path to Pasquini Castle. Mark Lowenstein
Castle Section: Start at an entrance to the park off the main SP39 road in the center of town next to the Michel Castiglioncello store. There’s an entrance to a park, with paths that lead to the Castello Pasquini (castle), which has a nice path around the perimeter. There are additional paths in the park, and some stairs if you want to get the heart rate up.
Waterfront Path (Lungomare Sordi): The northern end starts at Belvedere Alberto Sordi. Access from the main road by running for ~0.5 km along the small roads. The path runs for 3.75 km south to just past the marina & Bagni Trieste. Fantastic views!
Inland Park. As an add-on, or variety, there’s a nice park just inland from the promenade path. There are pleasant paths and good shade for a hot day. ~1 km north-south. Look for the Tennis Club Castiglioncello as a benchmark.
Among the Tuscan coastal towns, Castiglioncello is a particularly nice spot for a destination run. One can put together a nice route combining castle grounds, shaded parks, and a 3.5 km seafront promenade. We haven’t mapped the route — use the description below for the several sections. One can put together a lovely ~8-10k route combing the castle park, seafront promenade, and inland park.
Path to Pasquini Castle. Mark Lowenstein
Castle Section: Start at an entrance to the park off the main SP39 road in the center of town next to the Michel Castiglioncello store. There’s an entrance to a park, with paths that lead to the Castello Pasquini (castle), which has a nice path around the perimeter. There are additional paths in the park, and some stairs if you want to get the heart rate up.
Waterfront Path (Lungomare Sordi): The northern end starts at Belvedere Alberto Sordi. Access from the main road by running for ~0.5 km along the small roads. The path runs for 3.75 km south to just past the marina & Bagni Trieste. Fantastic views!
Inland Park. As an add-on, or variety, there’s a nice park just inland from the promenade path. There are pleasant paths and good shade for a hot day. ~1 km north-south. Look for the Tennis Club Castiglioncello as a benchmark.
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Essentials
Waterfront path is up to 3.75 km one-way. Can add with castle grounds and parks.
Promenade path is flat. Gentle hill climb in park to castle.
Depends on section chosen, but easy to start right in the center of town.
Several parking lots in/near town, and also a free lot at the southern end of the promenade path
Some excellent running routes in the Pisa area: our 'runseeing' tour, paths along the Arno, a route along the marina/waterfront, trails in a large natural park, and a 13 km cycle path.
A 4.2 km loop around the green parks atop the walls surrounding the city of Lucca. This run offers a nice tour of the city and a panorama of the gorgeous surrounding scenery. Best to go early or off-peak to avoid the crowds.
Pleasant seafront promenade run in this city on the western Tuscan coast. It's up to 5.5 between Piazza Mascagni and the Scoglio della Ballerina. Great views of the water, distant islands, and some important Livorno sites.
Easy trail running on the Promontory Trails atop the cliff on the ancient Via Dei Cavalleggeri road, affording great views of the sea below. Can also run the trails in the Archaeological Park in Populonia, or our mapped waterfront route in Piombino.
This unique island destination includes great running along the Marina di Campo promenade and many nearby coastal trails. Also some more challenging trail running options on Monte Capanne.
A 'runseeing' tour of the walled city of Volterra. You'll run on paths along and outside the city walks, through several ancient gates, and see numerous archeological sites. Great views!
This network of unpaved, quiet roads winding through the Tuscan countryside is fantastic for running. We've researched some of the most beautiful of these, which are a great option since many of the main roads aren't safe for running.
These courses of the Chianti Marathon and Half Marathon feature wonderful running in the rolling hills of Chianti, just east of Siena. Use the routes as a guide to some lovely, quiet roads, using Castelnuovo Berardenga as the anchor point.
Sure, the Chianti region is famous for its wine, but the landscape here is unbeatable in terms of scenery. Take it all in on a this 13 km tour through the heart of Chianti.
This ancient 62 km trail along the Canale Maestro della Chiana is an ideal cycling and running path through fruit and farmlands. The path runs between Arezzo, Siena, and Umbria.
Several great routes in Florence: two historic 'runseeing' toutes, a run up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, the tree-lined streets and paths of the Arno River, beautiful Cascine Park, quieter Oltrarno, and the nearby Etruscan town of Fiesole.
Near Florence, this Etruscan town offers a respite from the crowds, wonderful quiet road, and an opportunity to sample the Tuscan hills. We've created a 6 km Fiesole Highlights run, and a 15 km loop to the hillside town of Settignano.
The 7 km hilly run to the Etruscan town Fiesole is in the steps of E.M. Forster's book, 'A Room with a View'. Some streets are narrow. Can run one way and take transport back. We've also put together a couple of routes in Fiesole.
For trail lovers, the scenic paths between Fiesole and Firenze are a must-run destination. You can get in up to 17 km (10 miles) here, starting just outside of Florence.
The nearby towns of Pistoia and Prato are often part of a Florence itinerary. In Pistoia, run in Villoni Puccini, a lovely city park with ~3 km of paths. In Prato, nice path along the river, the Parco di Galceti, and hill running in Natural Protected Area of Monteferrato.
A beautiful artificial lake in the Mugello region, the Lago di Bilancino is a great spot to run in a scenic spot brimming with wildlife. Runners can get in a nice 10 km around the lake, starting from Barberino di Mugello square.
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Essentials
Waterfront path is up to 3.75 km one-way. Can add with castle grounds and parks.
Promenade path is flat. Gentle hill climb in park to castle.
Depends on section chosen, but easy to start right in the center of town.
Several parking lots in/near town, and also a free lot at the southern end of the promenade path
Review or Comment on This Route/Share a Photo!
Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!